It Could Have Been Me
by quintessentially
Summary: The team goes out to talk to potential witnesses, but Prentiss and Reid are in for a surprise.  One-shot.  Takes place in a fictional case toward the end of Season 4.


It could have been me.

That was what was racing through Prentiss' mind. It could have been me. It could have been me that was shot. It could have been me that sitting on the operating table. It could have been me…

This thought was couple with another thought. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to get shot. The unsub wasn't supposed to fight back. He wasn't supposed to be hanging between life and death. This wasn't supposed to happen.

It was a routine questioning. The team was going to an apartment complex to talk to residents who might have had contact with the unsub. Of course, they knew there was the possibility that they would encounter the unsub. But he wasn't the confrontational type. He would be quiet, pensive, carefully watching the moves of the police and FBI. He wouldn't fight back. He wasn't supposed to fight back. This wasn't supposed to happen…

Once they got there, the team split up: JJ and Rossi, Hotch and Morgan, and Prentiss and Reid. JJ and Rossi took the north wing, Hotch and Morgan took the south wing, and Prentiss and Reid took the west wing. It was just supposed to be ordinary, routine…

Prentiss knocked. "FBI. Is anyone home?" Another knock.

"Coming!" she heard in the distance. She heard soft footsteps, and then the door creaked open. "Yes?"

Prentiss flipped open her badge. "Agent Prentiss. This is Agent Reid. We just have a few questions for you. Can we come in?"

The man nervously nodded. "Um, sure. Come on in. Just let me throw out this paper towel."

Prentiss looked down he was walking toward his kitchen. He disappeared around a corner, and she noticed that his patio door was open…

"Excuse me, sir-" All of a sudden, he reappeared, holding a gun. The next few moments were a blur. All Prentiss could remember was a bullet blasting from his gun, whizzing past her, and hitting Reid in the stomach. Then Prentiss vaguely remembered shooting frantically at the unsub and watching him run out the patio door.

"Help!" she screamed into her communication device. "Suspect just shot at us! He shot Reid! He's heading north! Can you guys chase him while I help Reid?"

She remembered hearing chaos in her earpiece. She knew she should have been more focused on running after the suspect, but she couldn't bear to leave Reid lying on the floor, bleeding, dying…

She grabbed his hand and again screamed into her communication device. "Federal agent down! Clearbrook Apartments, number 673. Federal agent down!" She frantically turned to Reid to see if he was still conscious. "Reid!" she screamed. "Reid! Can you hear me?"

Reid's eyes fluttering open. "Em- Em- Em-"

"Reid, don't say anything. You're going to be fine. Just stay with me here. Keep squeezing my hand. I've got you. Just stay here…"

It felt like an eternity until the paramedics arrived. She watched as they gathered around him. She followed them as they brought him onto the ambulance. She stepped into the back with Reid. As soon as the doors closed, she felt a tear drip onto her hand. She wiped her eyes. She had started to cry.

"Reid, sweetie, everything's going to be fine. They're gonna fix you up, and you'll be good as new."

And now here she was. Nervously picking her nails sitting in the waiting room. She looked at her watch. He had been in surgery for almost 4 hours. She was starting to get worried about him again.

A few hours earlier, the team had shown up at the hospital. They had caught the shooter and brought him into custody. But the team's priority was to be at the hospital, with Reid, with Prentiss.

At the moment, the team was all getting dinner. Prentiss didn't go with them; she didn't have an appetite.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she kept thinking. I'm supposed to have his back. That's what couples do. They protect each other. They keep each other safe. They don't let the other one get shot.

They had been dating for almost a year now. They started shortly after returning from Colorado. Prentiss knew from the moment she gave herself up as the FBI agent that she would do anything to protect Reid. And that's what should have happened. She should have protected Reid.

They had kept their relationship a secret from the team. The rest of the team probably had figured out that they were dating by now, but still, Prentiss and Reid liked having their private lives just that: private. Their relationship started out as just watching movies of Friday nights. Then it grew to talking until ridiculous hours of the night. Then, snuggling.

Then they had their first kiss. It was slow, passionate, moving, intense. Prentiss could still remember it. She had waited forever for it to happen. Their relationship was moving slow. Mostly because Reid didn't want to rush anything. And Prentiss didn't really mind; as long as she was with Reid, it was fine. But sometimes she did wish that things went a little faster.

Then they started spending nights together. Long, cozy nights.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He can't die. He can't die on me. Not when I love him.

Prentiss' mind stopped racing for a moment. I love him? she thought. She hadn't even thought about it before. Neither of them had said it to the other yet, and she didn't think in terms of it. But clearly her heart was telling her something. She loved him. She loved him.

The thought of losing the man she loved was too much for her. She started crying again, this time harder.

She looked up. A nurse was standing in front of her. "Spencer Reid?"

"Yes?" Prentiss' voice was shaking. She was terrified of what the nurse might say.

"He's going to be okay."

Prentiss felt incredibly relieved. It was like the elephant that was standing on her chest had suddenly walked away. "Re-really?"

"Yes. The bullet punctured his abdomen, but we were able to take out the bullet and stitch him up. He'll have to be in the hospital a while, but his recovery shouldn't be too bad."

"Oh, thank you, thank you," Prentiss cried. "Thank you so much."

The nurse smiled. "Are you Emily?"

"Yes."

"He's asking for you. Keep in mind, he's very weak, but you can go in and see him."

Prentiss rushed into the room. "Spencer, I'm so glad you're all right!" She ran over to the side of the bed.

"Em-" he whispered. "Em-"

"No, Spencer. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you get shot. I should have protected you better."

"Em. No. Don't do that to yourself. We couldn't have known that he was the unsub, or that he would pull a gun."

"But still. I let you down. You could have died!"

"But I didn't." Reid looked up at her and reached for her hand. "Em- you remember how I was calling your name in the apartment?"

"Well, yeah."

"I wanted to tell you something. In case I didn't make it. But I couldn't get it out. And now that I'm here, I just have to tell you now. Emily, I couldn't have let the unsub shoot you. You didn't do anything wrong. You're absolutely perfect. Em- I love you."

Prentiss' face slowly spread into a smile. "Spencer, I- I- I kept thinking while I was waiting that if I never saw you again, if I never had anyone else to tell my secrets to, if I never had another person to enjoy movies with, I would feel so alone. And I would never get to tell you that I love you too." She leaned forward and gave him a small kiss. Just enough to tell him she was glad that he was okay. She looked at him and felt a tear of happiness fall from her cheek onto his cheek. She subtly laughed and held his hand. She knew that everything was going to be okay. Reid would be okay. Everything would go back to normal. And she and Reid were in love.


End file.
